Trailer for Michael Fassbender’s Return to Science Fiction Looks Like 2026’s Craziest Movie Yet

Michael Fassbender is one of our most versatile actors, delivering amazing performances across genres, though he’s perhaps best known to many for his role as Magneto in the X-Men feature film franchise. Itself a sci-fi juggernaut, another major role that has defined Fassbender’s career is as the android David in both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (a role he hopes to return to). Though these two characters mark his only foray into science fiction as a performer, he’s about to return to the franchise for the first time with an even wilder character.

NEON has released the first trailer for Hope, the new sci-fi movie from South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin. Having previously made his mark on the horror genre with the likes of The Wailing and The Yellow Sea, Na Hong-jin is pushing his sensibilities as a filmmaker in surprising new ways with Hope. Though it is clearly a sci-fi movie since aliens are at the forefront of it all, Hope also appears to be an adrenaline-fueled action movie. Speaking of the aliens, though, that’s how Fassbender fits into it all, as the actor will play one of the extraterrestrials central to the film’s wild plot.

Hope Trailer Reveals 2026’s Wildest Sci-fi Movie Is Yet to Come

Fassbender isn’t the only recognizable face that will be a part of Hope’s cast, but will seemingly be hidden behind visual effects as one of its bizarre alien designs. Others confirmed to appear are Taylor Russell (Escape Room, Bones and All), Cameron Britton (Manhunter), and even Fassbender’s real-life wife, Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl). That said, the film does include plenty of South Korean stars, including Hwang Jung-min, who previously collaborated with Na Hong-jin on The Wailing, plus Zo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon.

Though Hope is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 9, the film has already played at the Cannes Film Festival, meaning that reviews are already out in the world. As of this writing, Hope holds an 80% approval rating with 40 total reviews. The BBC awarded the film a four out of five, writing that it’s “One of the most expensive Korean films ever made, it races from modern-day western to action thriller to horror film to science-fiction epic – all while retaining the full-throttle energy and sweaty cult-movie atmosphere of a 1970s exploitation flick.”

Despite the high praise, Hope earned plenty of criticism from some for the visual effects present in the movie not being up to par. Considering how many of the notable stars in the film will seemingly be performing behind the VFX, it seems like a ding on the movie that could hold some water. To that end, even THR wrote that the film’s “Effects work is excellent, even with some messy CG touches, and the creature designs strikingly original.

With Hope set to arrive in theaters on Wednesday, September 9, the film arrives in a bit of a dead zone at the box office, with the only competition being a re-release of The Passion of the Christ and the upcoming Practical Magic 2. For genre fans, though, this is shaping up to be a can’t miss movie.